Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor manufacturing methods and apparatuses. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept relate to methods of depositing atomic layers and atomic layer deposition apparatuses.
Discussion of the Background
An atomic layer deposition (ALD) method is a surface controlled process which results in two-dimensional layer-by-layer deposition. The ALD method is conducted in a surface kinetic regime, thereby ensuring excellent step coverage. In ALD method, source gas and reactant gas are applied periodically, chemical exchange takes place, and a thin film is formed with very high density. Moreover, since by-products generated in the ALD method are always gas, it is easy to remove the by-products using an exhaust nozzle.
Generally, in the ALD method, the substrate should be moved in and out of a gas sprayed region onto which gas is sprayed by a gas spray unit. To maintain the uniformity of the thin film, the gas spray unit should maintain a fixed distance from the gas sprayed region. The fixed distance between the gas spray unit and the gas sprayed region is maintained by the substrate when the substrate is within the gas sprayed region. When the substrate is moved out of the gas sprayed region, however, extra plates (i.e., buffer plates) may be arranged at both sides of the substrate to maintain the fixed distance. Further, each buffer plate should have a length corresponding to a length of the substrate, or an entire length of the gas spray unit.
As the size of the display panel increases, the length of each buffer plate increases correspondingly, thus increasing the size of the atomic layer deposition apparatus. As the size of the atomic layer deposition apparatus increases, a tact time of the ALD method is increased, a usage of gas is increased, and the uniformity of the thin film is decreased.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.